93% of teenagers believe they should change their current technology usage habits

In an increasingly globalized and connected world, the relationship of young people with screens and the digital environment has become a central issue for families, teachers, and society in general. In this context, and in line with their common child protection strategy, the Orange Foundation and Save the Children have conducted thorough research in collaboration with GAD3 to understand the opportunities, risks, and challenges faced by children and adolescents in this new digital era.

The study "Childhood and Adolescence in Digital Environments" was developed in several phases and includes perspectives drawn from conversations with 17 experts and over 2,500 interviews with parents, adolescents, teachers, and the general population.

“We are dealing with an issue that greatly concerns society and which we have clearly identified in our Sustainability strategy. With this research, we aim to properly manage the challenges of the digital world to contribute to responsible technology use. It is evident that this is a task that requires everyone's involvement, including organizations like the Orange Foundation, especially those aware and involved in the proper use of technology, and very especially from children, boys, and adolescents,” emphasized Luz Usamentiaga, patron of the Orange Foundation and General Director of Regulation, Public Affairs, and Sustainability at MasOrange.

“The digital environment offers great advantages to children and adolescents, but it also entails risks. Analyzing and understanding their major challenges helps us work to ensure that their rights are also protected in the digital universe,” states Andrés Conde, General Director of Save the Children.

Below are some of the main conclusions of the study:

Consumption Times

The time spent consuming devices is beginning to be reviewed in households. In fact, according to the study, 93% of surveyed teenagers believe they should change some of their current screen usage habits. Regarding measures for a healthier use of technology, reducing connection time is the most mentioned by adolescents (54%); followed by dedicating more time to sports (39%); and not sleeping near a digital device to avoid the temptation to take a look (34%).

However, 14% of teenagers also state that their parents use mobile phones or digital platforms more than they do, averaging between 4 and 5 hours a day. Similarly, some parents admit that they are sometimes a bad example for their children regarding technology usage habits.

Therefore, the experts participating in the report emphasize the importance of reflecting on one's own behavior, as it is not possible to encourage conscious and healthy use in childhood and adolescence without a coherent example from families. Thus, adopting limits and balanced habits not only benefits adults in their own usage but also contributes to educating children and adolescents in everyday life.

Digital Risks and Perception

Currently, the vast majority of teenagers (81%) – and the general population (89%) – are aware of the risks in the digital environment and understand that privacy protection is very important.

It is noteworthy that 62% of minors claim to understand well what type of information they share on digital platforms. However, more than half of adolescents and adults state that they do not know how to protect their personal information on the Internet. Additionally, a very high percentage acknowledges not knowing how to differentiate false information in the digital environment.

The report also indicates that almost half of teenagers (46%) are concerned about the digital footprint their activities leave on the internet and consider it necessary to reduce self-exposure, as well as to take care of the content they share on their profiles. In the case of adults, this concern increases considerably (up to 65% of respondents), demonstrating the great importance they place on their digital footprint.

The measures that teenagers adopt to protect their information on social networks are very similar to those adopted by adults: not sharing personal information, keeping their accounts private, or not accepting requests from strangers, among others.

According to the study, almost half of the surveyed teenagers have received messages from strangers; 13% have received insults, harassment, or threats in the digital realm; and 28% of teachers have witnessed such situations.

In the face of digital risk circumstances, the most common reaction among teenagers is to block the responsible person or account. Additionally, 25% turn to their parents, while 13% decide not to take any action.

Main Influencers

It is crucial to define who is responsible for educating young people about the correct use of technology. The experts consulted in the study, as well as society in general, agree that this task primarily falls on parents, in contrast to the opinion of parents of minors under 18 years old, who give more prominence to tech companies, the government, or teachers.

Teenagers reinforce this conclusion by also highlighting their parents as the main responsible for their digital education. However, they also mention the role of other agents in their awareness, including both teaching staff and educational centers as well as external figures, with special mention of the National Police.

It is also important to note the difference between genders in this regard, with teenage boys placing more credibility on their parents, while girls tend to value the role of the police or their teachers more.

Parental Supervision and Digital Rights

According to the research, mothers of children and adolescents primarily state that they supervise and monitor all their children's online activities, in addition to accompanying them in their use of this medium. In contrast, fathers emphasize their role more as problem solvers related to the Internet and as those who talk about digital risks, although they do not control what their children do.

On their part, adolescents (6 out of 10) mostly believe that their parents have a lot or enough knowledge about their internet activities.

Regarding parental control specifically, according to the report’s results, 61% of parents rely on tools to supervise their young children’s actions (this percentage drops to 56% among those with children aged 13 to 17).

68% of parents believe that their right to review devices is more relevant than the minors’ right to privacy. In contrast, the majority of adolescents (65%) complain that these supervision tools limit their privacy. Additionally, 60% know how to bypass them.

In such a complex scenario, experts conclude that parents must be prepared to face challenges such as their children having greater digital training and knowing how to bypass controls (56%), the complexity of digital platforms (47%), and the lack of resources and training (37%).

On the other hand, for adolescents, appearing on their relatives’ social networks – the so-called sharenting – can be perceived as something positive on some occasions, but 16% believe that their parents share a lot or enough information about them on social networks and, in this situation, one in four feels uncomfortable or very uncomfortable. The report also highlights that 54% of parents engage in this practice, and 39% do so being aware of the dangers it entails.

These data are directly related to digital rights in childhood and adolescence and open the debate on their online overexposure, also from the family nucleus.

Emergence of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has great potential and has emerged in various fields, with its presence being very relevant in the educational sector. At the same time, the use of AI evokes mixed feelings, highlighting both its benefits and its threats.

The study concludes that, as an educational tool, AI is powerful, but there must be increased vigilance and support from parents and teachers to ensure its use is efficient, ethical, and does not harm the cultural and intellectual development, as well as the creativity, of children and adolescents.

Furthermore, AI should be understood as a support factor, that is, as a complement and not as a substitute for learning.

The report also reflects that young people should be instilled with critical and ethical thinking, fostering interest in the origin of the information used in school assignments and the necessary verification of data, not assuming that all information from AI is correctly formulated.

Recommendations for Responsible Technology Use

According to the conclusions drawn from the report, and taking into account the opinions of the consulted experts, the Orange Foundation and Save the Children propose a series of recommendations for responsible technology use, with a special focus on its use within the family environment.

Among these tips, the need to make some changes in digital habits within the family stands out, both from mothers and fathers as well as from the adolescents themselves. The report details some recommendations in this regard, such as defining usage schedules and time limits, promoting digital disconnection with analog activities, not using devices as “technological pacifiers,” etc.

On the other hand, the need to reflect on the privacy of childhood and adolescence is highlighted, both concerning data shared by parents (sharenting) and those exposed by young people on their social networks. Therefore, recommendations in this area are also included, such as the need to keep accounts private, avoid sharing sensitive data (location, address, school…) or avoid conversations with strangers.

Technological Solutions for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment

Technical solutions for greater protection of children should focus on personal care, regardless of the connection device. These solutions are already capable of ensuring the blocking of certain harmful content, both for applications and websites. In any case, it is necessary to continue advancing and improving aspects such as age verification systems and content labeling.

Furthermore, the application of control measures must always be adapted to the age and/or maturity of the children, respecting their rights, and should never replace family accompaniment and dialogue.

In summary, the Orange Foundation and Save the Children aim to contribute with this effort to improve the current situation of childhood and adolescence in digital environments, proposing practical and simple actions, accessible to all.